CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The awareness of a problem base on the perception that not everything is as it should be (Wolmarans and Eksteen, 1987:8). There is a need for conceptual clarity on principles of doctrine for the conduct of increasingly complex peace operations - especially those where there are parties bent on using violence to derail the peace process.
Programs such as those of the UN Institute for Training and Research Peacekeeping Operations Correspondence Instruction (UNITA POCI) and Co- operative Education are important to help bridge the illiteracy gap. However, it is also important that the African doctrine for PSO not only derive from abroad.
African realities should inform military operations (MILOPS) that are inevitably different from the environment that has shaped European and American doctrinal development (Training for Peace, 2004:1).
The researcher knows from experience that, in preparing its forces for peace support missions, the SA Army relies almost exclusively on a core of general- purpose combat training, supplemented by mission-specific training during the pre-conflict phase. The reliance on general-purpose combat training base on the conviction that troops well trained for high-intensity warfare would be well prepared for any scenario falling short of combat, including peacekeeping. It assumes that peacekeeping draws on the same set of skills as conventional
warfare, but tests soldiers to a lesser degree and that any necessary training beyond general-purpose combat training is achievable within the relatively short period between the notice of mission and a unit's actual deployment.
Regrettably, this traditional approach to training is not adequate to give military personnel either the full range of skills or the appropriate orientation necessary to meet the diverse and complex challenges presented in African peace support operations. The topics relevant to training for PSO are many and complex and could possibly not be covered adequately in the pre-conflict phase, particularly in cases where that period measure in days. The failure of the formal training plan to provide satisfactorily for these non-combat skills arise primarily from the lack of doctrine recognising the need for such training and the lack of supporting training materials and standards.
According to Malan, (1996:11) doctrinal elasticity and attempts to train soldiers
"across the spectrum of conflict from stability operations to war,” must be avoided, for they imply a complex and confusing mix of the use of armed force on the one hand, with concepts such as neutrality, impartiality and the minimum use of necessary force on the other.
Southern Africa simply lacks the foundational capacity to create forces that are ubiquitous and capable of discharging tasks across the spectrum of 'peace operation' roles. A more realistic vision would be the creation of a readily available, multilateral pool of competent peacekeepers at the regional or sub- regional level to prevent the reigniting of conflict and the creation of a separate, effective and rapidly deployable multilateral enforcement formation able to stop conflict before it gets serious.
Van Dyk et al. (2001:175) differentiate between three types of problems:
managerial, systems and performance. The absence of models of co-operative education on PSO in Africa at South African tertiary institutions points towards a performance problem. According to Van Niekerk (1991:60) to solve, a performance problem such as the lack of ability to do a certain task is to give members additional knowledge, skills and attributes (KSAs).
For that reason, a much wider array of KSAs is required than is normally covered under general-purpose combat training. Broadening the KSA base through higher education is a means of shaping appropriate attitudes and setting the right expectations to help SA Army members and NGOs adapt to the demands of PSO. Langholtz, de Beer and Mostert (2003:7) acknowledge that direct supervision and field exercises are necessary to instruct hands-on technical skills. Yet, institutions of higher learning can provide co-operative education on PSO that are cognitive or knowledge based. This knowledge could include the UNITAR POCI courses, geo-political and security studies, international perceptions on PSO, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict, as well as other knowledge-based topics that peacekeepers need to understand in order to serve effectively on UN or AU missions.
The motivation for the research is evident from the discussion above and because no Institute of Higher Learning in South Africa is currently contributing to the field of PSO in Africa, this proposed Model of Co-operative Education on PSO in Africa could help to change the mindset of the major universities.
1.3.1 RESEARCH STATEMENT
A Model of Co-operative Education on PSO in Africa will satisfy the need for tertiary education, improved knowledge, changed attitudes and assist to solve conflict in Africa.
1.3.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The primary objectives for this research were to:
• Carry out a need analysis in order to determine whether there is a need among SA Army officers in the SANDF for a Model of Co-operative Education on PSO in Africa;
• Prepare an instructional design (ISD) report for a Model of Co-operative Education on PSO in Africa based on principles of scientific instructional design practice; and
• Draft curriculum content on PSO in accordance with the principles of curriculum design.
1.3.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
The future continues to hold a high demographic risk of civil conflict in Africa.
South Africa is in a state of transition and will remain as such for some time to come. The international community expects South Africa to become more involved in peacekeeping missions.
The SA Army, however, has a limited capacity to deploy troops in PSO over long periods. It has neither the logistical, nor the personnel capacity to do so. The defence budget remains under pressure to such an extent that South African
military potency is slipping and will drop further if the lack of political will continues to hamper the effectiveness of the SA Army.
If South Africa wants to play a leading role on an unstable continent, it must have a focused and functional defence force. The expectation is that traditional training methods in the SA Army will not be able to satisfy all the present and future human resource development needs, especially the need for competent peacekeepers.
Within the overall educational philosophy of a combination of distance education and co-operative training, the nature of the proposed project is to fulfil the urgent need to change South African soldiers and other PSO stakeholders into unbiased diplomats.
Peacekeepers must be acquainted with the political, military and socio-cultural dynamics of the crisis area. UNITAR POCI, University of South Africa (UNISA) and the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT), in collaboration with the SANDF, and institutions such as the ISS could use distance education andragogy to achieve the objectives of peace, security and economic stability in Southern Africa.
The focus of the SA Army from the onset should therefore be one of development in cooperation with other stakeholder organisations. Training peacekeepers via distance education is an inexpensive way for Institutions of Higher Learning to become involved and contribute. This could be a key step to assist in the development of a professional SANDF.
The researcher is of the opinion that a Model of Co-operative Education on PSO in Africa will provide training and education for a wide variety of learners, in order to improve their ability to participate in multinational peace support and humanitarian operations.